The Scottish Green Party has lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority over a controversial advert published in two regional newspapers.

In the full-page advert, the US billionaire – who has publicly denounced plans for an offshore wind farm near his new golf resort in Aberdeenshire – urges the public to protest against First Minister Alex Salmond’s support for renewable energy.

Under the banner “Is this the future for Scotland?” his protest displays a picture of a huge wind farm in California. It states: “Tourism will suffer and the beauty of your country is in jeopardy!

“This is the same mind that backed the release of terrorist al-Megrahi, ‘for humane reasons’ – after he ruthlessly killed 270 people on Pan-Am flight 103 over Lockerbie.”

Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie MSP said: “Trump has sunk to a new low. Linking renewables policy to Lockerbie victims is sick.

“Not only did he have no shred of evidence that tourism would suffer when we quizzed him during the parliament’s inquiry into renewables, he has already been censured by the authorities for placing similar anti-renewables adverts.

“Trump’s organisation has already trashed a unique environment on the coast of Aberdeenshire and trampled on the rights of local people.

“Now he appears to be determined to buy up chunks of the Scottish press. It’s vital that Scotland doesn’t allow a bully to think he can flash his cash and get his own way.”

The Scottish Government responded to Mr Trump’s latest advert, which appeared in the Press and Journal and the Courier, by saying the businessman had misled the public over the future of wind farms in his previous campaign.

A spokesman said: “The Advertising Standards Agency has already banned an advertisement by the Trump Organisation for providing a ‘misleading representation of proposed wind farms’.

“Scotland has massive green energy potential – including around a quarter of Europe’s offshore wind and tidal power potential – that is already bringing in significant jobs, industry and investment and we have a responsibility to ensure Scotland benefits further.”

The tycoon and the SNP have been at odds over wind energy after plans were lodged for a major offshore project near Aberdeen. Mr Trump recently announced a postponement on work at his Menie Estate Golf Resort while an application for an offshore wind farm is being considered.

Mr Trump has said that Mr Salmond is “hellbent on destroying Scotland” with wind turbines. A spokesman for the Trump organisation yesterday said the advert was approved before publication by the Committee of Advertising Practice.

He said: “We actually wanted the content to be much stronger because Scotland is facing an economic and environmental meltdown if wind turbines are not stopped. The Green Party is a complete joke because they have chosen to promote these destructive machines.”